


In My Life

by Caedmon



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Lullabies, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-28 12:02:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5090009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caedmon/pseuds/Caedmon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose is traumatized after a particularly harrowing adventure. She asks the Doctor to stay with her, to hold her and sing to her. </p>
<p>The Doctor can never say no to her, and he picks a song to sing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In My Life

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a companion/epilogue to my multi-chap Halloween story "Samhain." However, you do not read it to read this. 
> 
> As always -  
> I own nothing but the mistakes. Those are all on me.  
> If you're reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Any feedback you could leave would be appreciated, it makes me a better writer.  
> caedmonfaith.tumblr.com

He’d known it was coming. There was no way it wouldn’t.

Rose had been on some harrowing adventures with him, had seen some terrifying things, things that would destroy a lesser woman. After every one, if she felt the need the two of them would talk. The Doctor had been so proud of her; she was by far the bravest human he’d ever known, likely the bravest being he’d ever known. When she watched the Earth burn, was drugged, had had the people she loved shoot a missile at her, seen her father die twice and him die once on the same day and nearly been eaten by a slimy lump with teeth, she’d bounced back fairly easily. She’d had some upset, sure, particularly after their trip to 1987, but he’d been awed and inspired by just how scrappy his little ape actually was. Nothing kept her down for long. She’d have a good cry, the two of them would talk about it, and she’d move on. 

The Doctor knew that this time was different, however. He’d known as soon as he found her tied to that chair in the crypt that she wasn’t going to brush this one off so easily. No one could have.

So when her scream echoed through the Tardis two hours after she went to bed, the Doctor wasn’t surprised in the least. He’d expected it, but that didn’t lessen his terror as he ran to her room as fast as his legs would carry him. 

The Tardis, who was quite fond of Rose, had moved her room as close to him as possible in order to shorten the time it would take for him to get to her. The Doctor sent a quick thanks to her, then another one when the door opened a couple of inches as he reached it. 

He didn’t wait for niceties like he normally would. This wasn’t the time to knock. Rose, his Rose, was in the throes of a horrific nightmare, and the Doctor was nearly certain he knew what she was dreaming about. 

Flinging the door aside, he looked across the room to her bed and found her wrapped in the sheets, thrashing, tangled. The Doctor was across the room in two steps and hesitated for the beat of one of his hearts before he sank down onto the bed beside her and reached out to her. 

“Rose,” he said, and reached to brush her hair back from her damp brow. The urge to place his fingers to her temples and take the dream away was nearly overpowering, but he resisted. He chose to comb his fingers through her hair instead and rubbed his thumb on her cheek, saying her name just a little louder. “ _Rose._ Wake up, love, you’re safe. I’m here, and you’re safe.”

She shook her head and cried out, “No! Don’t leave me...no!”

The Doctor’s hearts broke; he had a fairly good idea what she was dreaming about. Again, he tamped down the temptation to enter her mind and remove all of it - the dream and the mental manipulation that had caused it.

Instead, he used his free hand to grasp one of her flailing hands and brought it to his face so she could feel him. “Rose. Wake up. Wake up, Rose. I’m here, see?”

Her thrashing settled, and the Doctor heaved a sigh of relief. Rose opened her eyes, wide and frightened, and looked at him. He smiled down at her. “There you are, precious girl. You’re awake now. You’re safe.”

“Doctor?” she asked uncertainly. She looked at him for a second, then ran her hand along his scruffy, sandpapery face.

“S’me, Rose. I’m here.” He nodded and stroked her thumb across her cheek, mirroring her actions. Rose launched herself into his arms and he caught her, pulling her close as she sobbed. 

“You didn’t leave,” she cried.

The Doctor struggled to maintain a reassuring smile as his fears were confirmed. She’d been dreaming that he abandoned her, just like that bastard who tortured her had tricked her into believing. 

“‘Course not, Rose. I could never leave you behind.” She wept into his shoulder and he stroked her back comfortingly. “I’m keeping you with me as long as you’ll stay, love. You’re safe. I’ll never leave you behind.”

“But...he said….”

“He _lied_ , Rose.”

“I was so afraid,” she confessed. “It was so real.”

“But it wasn’t really real, Rose, and I’m never going to leave you. Alright?” She nodded, and he hugged her impossibly closer for just a second. “You believe me?”

She nodded again, against his neck, and said into his shoulder, “I trust you, Doctor. I believe you. But the dream…”

“I know,” he said. “I know, Rose.”

He stroked her back and held her tight until she settled, and he eased her back down to the bed, kissing her forehead. “You better now?” he asked. She nodded, and he stood to leave. Rose shot out a hand and grasped his wrist, sitting up part ways and looking into his eyes. “Please don’t go,” she said. “Please stay.”

The Doctor looked at her carefully, pondering her request. He shouldn’t, and he knew he shouldn’t. There were a million reasons why he shouldn’t, not the least of which was the fact that he was undeniably, unrestrainedly in love with her. She’d bewitched him, consumed him, and he was head-over-heels for her. Besotted, he was. And just at the moment, his urge to protect and comfort her was overwhelming his good sense.

As any other lovesick fool can tell you, when the object of your love asks you for something, you walk on fire and shards of glass to provide them with it. Rose was asking him to stay and keep the demons away, to make her feel safe. 

There was absolutely no way he could say no to that.

He smiled at her. “Budge over.”

She scooted her body over to the far side of the bed and he lay, first on his back and then facing her. 

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I was afraid.”

“Don’t be afraid, Rose. I’m here. I’ll stay with you. Nothing will hurt you while I’m near, I swear it.”

Rose reached out and plucked his hand from beneath his head, bringing it to the no-man’s-land of bed between them. She laid her hand against his, palm-to-palm, and entwined their fingers. The Doctor looked down at their joined hands lying placidly between them and gave a small smile. 

“Thank you,” she whispered again.

He tugged their hands closer and kissed her knuckles before laying them back where she had put them. “Anything for you, Rose Tyler.”

Her eyes grew heavy after a while and she scooted forward, nuzzling into his chest, hands still linked. He released her hand in favor of wrapping both arms around her and pulling her close. The Doctor tried not to think of how perfectly she fit, how warm she was, and hoped instead that she was comfortable. When her heartbeat slowed against the hand pressed gently against her back and her breathing slowed, he felt an incredible pride that Rose felt so safe with him. 

The Doctor held her like that for what seemed like hours, until she rolled over to face the other way. Unable to help himself, he scooted up behind her and pulled her close again, wrapping his body around his protectively. He slid one arm under her head, and the other draped itself over her waist. Rose sighed in what he hoped was contentment, then threaded her fingers through his again. She was nearly asleep, but murmured anyway, “Do you sing, Doctor?”

“Been known to, yeah.”

“My mum used to sing when I was a little girl and afraid of something. As I got older, I listened to the radio when I went to sleep. It helped me settle down after a long day. Now the Tardis hums in the background but..well...will you sing?”

The Doctor wanted to bristle at being asked to do something Jackie used to do, but kept the impulse to himself. Instead he kissed the top of her head and said, “of course.”

He began to sing an old song he remembered from his childhood in Gallifrey. She couldn’t understand the words, but it didn’t matter. He knew she wanted to comfort of his body and voice. She dozed in his arms until she was finally asleep. He kissed the top of her head again and began to sing another song...very, very quietly so that she wouldn’t wake.

_There are places I remember_  
_All my life, though some have changed_  
_Some forever, not for better_  
_Some have gone, and some remain_  
_All these places have their moments_  
_With lovers and friends I still can recall_  
_Some are dead and some are living_  
_In my life, I loved them all._

_But of all these friends and lovers_  
_There is no one who compares with you_  
_And these memories lose their meaning_  
_When I think of love as something new_  
_Though I know I’ll never lose affection_  
_For people and things that went before_  
_And I know I’ll often stop and think about them_  
_In my life, I love you more._

The Doctor kissed Rose's hair one last time and she sighed easily, nuzzling back against him. 

“Sleep, Rose Tyler," he murmured softly. "I’ll be here in the morning, precious girl. M'not going anywhere, love.” 

Rose made a soft humming sound, and the Doctor closed his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> The Doctor is singing [In My Life](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw-TUO7A-HQ), music and lyrics by Lennon and McCartney  
> (The link will take you to the acoustic version performed by Dave Matthews - I couldn't get the Beatles' version due to copyright laws. I rather love this version, though.)
> 
> This song is the lullaby I sing to my children, and it seemed appropriate for the Doctor as well.


End file.
